ANGLICAN PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2121, 13 April 1914, Page 7

ANGLICAN PROBLEMS

!|||MODEHNiSMAND. MIRACLES '~' ATTITUDE TOOTHER CHURCHES .By.lWwraph—Press Aesoclation-Copyriu^t „,. : . .. . ' London, April 11. ■. The--Anglican Bishop of Oxford (Dr. Core), m an open letter to tho clergy of his diocese, deals severely with mmiermst views on New Testament miracles. Lc is absolutely necessary, ho says, that Hie Bishops should discountenance any man continuing in the exercise of the ministry, who disbelieves in miracles. Dr, Gore accused the Evangelical party in the Church of England of threatening disruption by growing co-operation with the non-Episcopal Churches, and declares that "the Anglican Communion can never recognise federation with other Protestant bodies, nor celebrate open communion. The Church must, therefore, be , left standing apart from any general Protestant federation." Extremists iu the Catholic movement had mailo it difficult to give any intelligent reason why they were not Roman Catholics ; nevertheless, there- was no call for Anglicans to forgo belief in purgatory or tho iavocatjon of saints. PETITION TO CONVOCATION. BROAD CHUSCH STANDPOINT. The views of a section of the Broad Church party on tie ques/ien of miracles has been causing a good deal of uneasiness to tho mare conservative section of tine Auslicaa Cliureh for some time past. Several clergymen holding advanced jjodwuisfc views have recently argued in favour of a ncuwnifaoukms interpreta* tiott of tho Gospel. and they hold that belief in miracles its not essential to Christianity. A stronpt protest against the position ljas been mode by the Bishon of Zanzibar {.Dr. Westoa), and at this meeting of Canterbury Convocation in l f ebruary, a petition was presented to the Upper House by the Bishop of London (l>l , . Ingram) from 076 I/uulon clergy on the subject; of the denial of fundamental truths, and asking the Bishop to repudiate the claim of some clergy to reject the miraotes of tho Virem Birtli and actual ltesumotion ef Christ's body from tile tomb. The matter was jiat discussed. The Archbishop of Canterbury said that the Bishop of London had acted wisely in dejiding that any diseassien on these largo and grave questions should be postponed till the next sessions, adding that it must jidt bo supposed that because they did. not discuss the petition that day they were treating lightly.a mate of fundamental an.d vital imiwrtance to the Cliureh,' Attention has been directed to thelitmerectum miracle by the manner in which it is treated by the Eev. B. S. Sbecter wa book called "3?os»da.HeßS," : written by seven Oxford meu. This work lias attracted much attention, and has • run through several editions, ilr. Stteeter d«als irith the (mestieo with great cautaaii and ?evwencp, but findsJ himself unablo to woept without qiaalificatiou the aetnal bodily Tesurreatisa. It is Sot the fact of the reSurteetion, but. the. tradiflitional csplaaatkn of it that Mr. btrectfir questione. He states that "only if the possibilitj- of pttsofial imtowtslity be flaginatwally denied, can there bo any Wβ! difficulty in supposing that the Master would have been able to convince His disciples of His victory <rfer death by «emo adequate maiufestation—possibly by showing Himself to them in some form such as might- be covered by St. Paul a phrase, 'a spiritual body's pas. siMt through eoifts pgi-elioWieal chainet Biwijar to that v/ftich explains the mysterious means of communication between persons commonly known as telepathy; or posably i.«, gome vrny of which at p.rs?ent we have M conception. On sfteh a view the Appearances to t]i« disciples c-an *nly be styled •visions' if we tnomt ?jy vision somethins direetly paused by tho I/ord Himsalf veritably alive and; personally in communion wits them." Mr Streets* and thos* who think xrith thfrm eefttond .that the , 'essential pfliftt is not the niettMHef Hie Sesurrdction but the. fact tbat Christ is alive for eveTmoTe, as i.5 proved by the tntiiess if Hie ChrisHan , consciousness in all ages, Mi'. Streeter arg-Hes that the very 'nature of historical; cvidsn.ee mate the signs—tha appearances and.the_ empty convinced the- first tfisciides, more Tsmbto rtntl lifts co-nvincisi.e as the centuries pass; bwt/'owty rionturv that-pASsfS adds convictien to that other ago which is given us—the vindication in history of fho elnims Ho wade." Theve we i>9 as doiibt that any- attempt to penaliso eueh a view as'that held by Mr. Strceter would fee sltsncly twisted by Broad .Ghurehnven. Men of siteu , eminence as Dr. Rashdall and Professor Sanciay have already issued wafnings to this effect.